Folding mechanism



A ril 25, 1933. c. s. CRAFTS FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet l A ril 25, 1933. c. s. CRAFTS FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Jan.19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES,

CURTIS S. CRAFTS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO' THE GOSS PRINTINGPRESS PATENT OFFICE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS FOLDING MECHANISM Application filed. January 19, 1932. SerialNo. 58 "?,45)8.' v

The present invention relates to folding mechanism and more particularlyto new and useful improvements in the folding mechanism of rotaryprinting presses for displacing certain of the papers in the deliveredstack and thereby dividing the stack into groups each of which containsa predetermined number of papers.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter andin part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of ed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts,

constructions, arrangements, .combinations and improvements herein shownand described. The accompanying drawings, referred to herein andconstituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention,and together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

I Of the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating one embodiment of thepresent invention, certain of the parts being broken away; Figure 2 isan end elevation of the mecha- 'nismshown in Figure 1; and I Figure 3 isa fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 and showing the parts in adifferent position.

The'present invention is directed to providing means for insuring auniform arrangement or stacking of the folded products as they aredelivered regardless of the. speed of operation of the foldingmechanism. Another object of the invention is the provision of suchmeans which will not interfere with the normaloperation of thedisplacing or product counting means.

In the usual form of delivery mechanism employed in connection withrotary folding mechanism for high speed printing presses, the foldedproducts are individually delivered into the pockets of a rotary flywhich lowers and turns the product, finally layingit on a series ofmoving delivery belts. When such a mechanism is operated at high speed,

, the instrumentalities and combinations pointthe movement of theproduct by the rotary fly creates a relatively large amount of centrifugal force tending to throw the products out of the pockets of the fly.The products are also customarily brought to rest against thestationary-stop after which they drop on to the delivery belt,*a-nd athigh speeds there is a considerable tendency of the products toi bounceaway from the stop instead of drop ping vertically on to the deliverybelts. These uncontrolled movements of the products interfere withtheuniform stacking on the delivery belts, rendering it difficult, andoften impossible, to determinewhich of the products is the oneindicating the count. Consequently, an incorrect number of products maybe picked up by the operator from the stack on the delivery belts. 4

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided forpreventing movement of the products by centrifugal force, and forholding the product against bouncing as it is suddenly brought to restand dropped on to the traveling delivery belts.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustratedby way of ex;

ample in the accompanying drawings, the rollers 1 and 2 of thetransversefolder, which makes the final cross-fold in the newspaper, arejournalled in the side frames 3. A rotary fly 4 has its shaft 5 alsojournalled in frames 3 and is providedwith'a plurality of arms 6,

' between which are the pockets 7 for receive -1ng completed newspapersas they are indi-.

from I the folding rollers vidually delivered 1 and 2.

As is usual, the rotary fly 4 isrotated and the newspapers areindividually delivered.

into the pocket 7, and by rotation (stale fly they are brought against astationary stop and finally dropped on to a delivery device, such as-atravelling belt S'running over roller 9 journalled in the arms 10. Thepapers, as delivered on the belts 8, are arranged ina row or'series,with certain of said papers displaced from the otherwise uniformarrangement to indicate groups, each of which contains a predeterminednumber of newsf paperss r For effecting this periodic displacement ofcertain of the newspapers, any suitable form of mechanism may beprovided such as that shown in the prior patent to Evensen, No. I

1,825,998 of 1931. As embodied, a kicker or flipper arm 15, adapted tooperate periodi cally upon a folded paper in the fly and prevent itscoming back into the fly as far as it otherwise would just as itisdelivered, is mounted on a shaft 15 connected by link 16 to arm 16. Arm16 is mountedon a shaft 17 journalled in the machine frame 3, and at oneend of said shaft is an arm 18 provided at its end with a cam roller 19cooperating with the slowly driven cam 20, geared to and driven from thefolding mechanism.

In its general features, the mechanism just I described in detail issimilar to the usual form of delivery mechanism, and if operated at highspeeds, causes the irregular delivery of the products as they are laidon the delivery belts v8. The sudden stopping of the newspapers as-theirfolded edge is brought into contact with the stop 21,'causes them tobound back and away fromEthe stop and prevents their droppingverticallyon to the delivery belts. Furthermore, the centrifugal forcecaused by the rapid movement of the newspapers around shafto .as acenter, also tends to move the papers outwardly of the fly, the extentof this movement depending on the speed ofthe press.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided forretaining the prodnets-within the pockets during a considerable portionof their arcuate travel, holding them against outward movement until thefolded edge engages the stop 21, thus preventing bouncing of the productand insuring that the product drops vertically on to the delivdirectlybeneath the folding roller 1 and.

extend .downwardly'and to one side of the fly 4. Guide 25 is providedwith movable extension 28, independently mounted on shaft 29 which isjournalled in the side frames 3, and extension 28, as well as guide 25,is formed with an inner face substantially concentric with the shaft 5,and spaced from the fly-a distance just-sufiicient to permit it toengage with the outer edge of the newspapers as they are received withinpockets 7 and moved by the fly i. As embodied, a pluralityof setsofguides 25, 28* are employed, one set between each pair of arms 6, butany other suitable number may be employed.

Movable guide 28 is of sufficient length so that the outer edge of thenewspaper is moved clear ofits lower end just after the inneror foldededge of, the paper has been brought to rest against stop 21, at whichtime the rotational movement of the newspaper Guides 25,

. eration of the displacing means,

terference of guide 28 with the normal operation of the kicker 15, andthis is effected by moving guide28 outwardly in timed rela-" tion withthe movement of'kicker 15. For this purpose, the kicker actuating lever16 is rigidly connected with a lever 34 fast on shaft 17 and connectedby link 35 to an arm 36 fastened to and at one end of shaft 29. Askicker 15 is moved to displace one of the newspapers, movable guide 28is also moved away from the fly A to a position such'thatit does notinterfere with the intended displacement of the group-indicatingnewspaper. of the drawings, which illustrate' the position of the partsat the instant of contact of the newspaper with the kicker 15;

The invention in its broader aspects is not.

limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departuresmay be made therefrom withinthe' scope of the accompanying claimswithout departingfrom the. principles of the invention and without sackriflcingits chief advantages.

VVhatI claim is 1. A delivery mechanism for fly into which foldedproducts are delivered,

a moving surface onto which the'productsl are placed by thefly, meansfor holding the products within the fly during a portion of itsrevolution, means'for displacing certain of said products as saidproducts are delivered and means for moving said holding means to permitnormal operation of the displacing means. I

2. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly. into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, means for retaining theproducts within the fly during a portion of its revolution, means fordisplacing a prod- I uct each time a predetermined number of productshas been delivered and means for moving said retalnlng means to permltop- 3; A delivery mechanismfor high speed moving said guide-out'o-foperative position.

4. A delivery mechanism forhigh speed folders including in combination arotary This operation is shown in Figure 3' highspeedfolders includingin combination a rotary foldersincluding in combination arotary fly flyinto which folded products are delivered, a moving surface onto whichthe products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to said fly andpreventing outward movement of the products except at the bottom oftravel of said products, a pivoted member mounted adjacent to the bottomof said guide and means for periodically mo-vingsaid pivoted member awayfrom said fly.

5. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent tosaidfly and having a pivoted member mounted adjacent to its lower end, saidguide and pivoted member serving to retain the products within said flyuntil they are brought into proximity to said moving surface and meansfor periodically moving said pivoted member away from said fly.

6. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to saidfly and having a pivoted member mounted at its lower end, means fordisplacing a product each time a predetermined number of products hasbeen delivered and means for moving said pivoted member away from saidfly each time said displacing means is operated.

7. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to saidfly and having a pivoted member mounted at its lower end, means fordisplacing a product each time a predetermined number of prod ucts hasbeen delivered and means for moving said pivoted member away from saidfly in unison with the operation of the displacing means.

8. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to saidfly and having a movable member mounted at its lower end, a kicker fordisplacing a product as it is delivered each time a predetermined numberof products has been delivered and means for moving said member awayfrom said fly in unison with the op eration of the displacing means.

9. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to saidfly and having a movable member mounted at its lower end and means forperiodically moving said movable member away from said 10. A deliverymechanism for high speed folders including in combination a rotary flyinto which folded products are delivered, a moving surface onto whichthe products are placed by the fly, a guide adjacent to said fly andhaving a movable member mounted at its lower end, and means forperiodically moving said movable member and for displacing 2, product asit is placed on said moving surace.

11. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combinationa rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surfaceonto which the products are placed by the fly, a guide concentric withsaid fly and spaced therefrom to engage the outer edge of the productsas they are moved by said fly, said guide having a movable portion, akicker periodically operated to dis-V place certain of said products andmeans for moving said portion as said kicker is operated;

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CURTIS S. CRAFTS.

